Patent Grant
7685776
This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/322,952, filed on Dec. 30, 2005, and to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/322,888, filed on Dec. 30, 2005.
1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to sealing systems for use with panels, such as a door or a window, within a frame and, more specifically, to a sealing system for providing an improved seal between meeting stiles of adjacent panels and between a panel and frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain types of panels, such as doors and windows, are positioned within openings of a wall and/or other structures using a frame. These panels may also open and close by sliding back and forth within the frame. An issue associated with these types of panels is the integrity of the seals between the panels and the frame and between adjacent meeting stiles of a pair of panels. In many instances, these seals are an insufficient barrier in preventing the transfer from one side of the panel to the other side of the panel of such environmental elements as noise, weather, water, and insects.
Examples of conventional connections between the meeting stiles of a pair of panels and between a frame and a panel are respectively illustrated in
Attempts have been made to address these issues by using various types of weather stripping between the panels and frame. For example, the weather stripping may be strip of felt, foam, or a pile of flexible synthetic material. In many instances, however, this weather stripping fails to act as a sufficient seal between the panels and frame. There is, therefore, a need for a sealing system that can be employed between a frame and panel or between adjacent panels that prevents the transfer from one side of the panel to the other side of the panel such environmental effects as noise, weather, water, heat/cold, and insects
Another issue prevalent associated with the seals between a frame and panel or between adjacent panels is that these seals can become disjoined. Either intentionally or unintentionally, the alignment between the frame and panel or between adjacent panels may be disturbed which can degrade the quality of the seal, since, in many instances, the integrity of the seal relies upon these members having certain positional relationships relative to one another. There is, therefore, also a need for a sealing system that maintains the positional relationships between the frame and panel or between adjacent panels.
Embodiments of the invention address deficiencies of the art with respect to effectively creating a seal between a panel and a frame or between two panels. In this regard, a sealing system connects a panel to a frame and includes an anchor and a pair of opposing docking collars. The anchor extends from the frame or panel, and the opposing docking collars are disposed within a guide portion in the other of the frame or panel. The sealing system has an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. In the unlocked configuration, the panel moves relative to the frame along a plane substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the anchor. In the locked configuration, the anchor is positioned between the docking collars, and the anchor is engaged by the docking collars to prevent movement of the panel relative to the frame along the plane.
In certain aspects of the sealing system, each of the docking collars moves toward the anchor. Also, in the locked configuration, inner faces of the docking collars respectively engage side faces of the anchor, and at least a portion of each of the inner faces and the side faces are substantially parallel to the plane. The forces exerted by the docking collars against the anchor are substantially symmetrical and these forces may cancel out each other. In the locked configuration, the guide portion contacts a top face of the anchor to form a seal between the panel and the frame.
In other aspects of the sealing system, the anchor is substantially T-shaped with an inner portion and an outer portion wider than the inner portion. Also, the outer portion may extend beyond the inner portion towards both of the docking collars. The guide portion defines an opening through which the anchor extends into the guide portion. Movement by the panel relative to the frame moves the anchor relative to the docking collars along the longitudinal axis of the anchor, and the opening has a dimension smaller than a dimension of the outer portion of the anchor to restrict movement of the panel relative to the frame in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor. Additionally, the docking collars may prevent movement of the anchor to outside the guide portion.
In further aspects of the sealing system, movement of the panel relative to the frame moves the anchor relative to the docking collars in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor. The guide portion defines an opening through which the anchor extends into the guide portion in the locked configuration, and the opening has a dimension greater than a dimension of the outer portion of the anchor to allow movement of the panel relative to the frame in the direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor.
A sealing system for connecting a first panel and a second panel to a frame includes an anchor and a guide portion. The anchor has opposing side surfaces and extends from the first panel. The guide portion is disposed in the second panel. The sealing system has an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. In the unlocked configuration, the first panel moves relative to the second panel along a plane substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the anchor. In the locked configuration, each of the side surfaces of the anchor are engaged to prevent movement of the first panel relative to the second panel along the plane.
In certain aspects of the sealing system, the guide portion defines an opening through which the anchor extends into the guide portion in the locked configuration. The anchor is substantially T-shaped with an inner portion and an outer portion wider than the inner portion. The opening has a dimension greater than a dimension of the outer portion of the anchor to allow movement of the first panel relative to the second panel in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anchor.
In other aspects of the sealing system, opposing docking collars are disposed within the guide portion, and the inner faces of the docking collars respectively engage the side faces of the anchor in the locked configuration. If so, the outer portion of the T-shaped anchor extends beyond the inner portion towards both of the docking collars. Alternatively, the anchor is a split anchor that has opposing portions moving relative to one another. If so, inner faces of the opening respectively engage the side faces of the split anchor in the locked configuration.
Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:
The frame 120 may include a header 130, jambs 140, and a sill 150. A header 130 is a structural member that spans an upper portion of the window/door opening. Jambs 140 are the outermost vertical side members of the frame 120. A sill 150 is a threshold or structural member that spans a lower-most portion of the window/door opening. As recognized by those skilled in the art, different terms may also be associated with the above-structure identified as the header 130, jambs 140, and sill 150.
Each panel 110 may include a sash 160 that surrounds a pane 170. The pane 170 is not limited as to a particular material. For example, the pane 170 may be translucent, such as glass or plastic, or opaque, such as with wood or metal. The sash may include a header rail 175, jamb or stile rails 180, and a sill rail 185. As recognized by those skilled in the art, different terms may also be associated with the structure identified as the header rail 175, the jamb or stile rail 180, sill rail 185, and meeting stile 190. The respective jamb/stile rails 180 of the panels 110A, 110B that adjoin one another when the door/window system 100 is closed are also known as meeting stiles 190A, 190B.
The sealing system 200 may be used with each of the members 175, 180, 185, 190 of the sash 160 to form a seal between the sash 160 and the frame 120 or between the meeting stile 190A of one panel 110A and the meeting stile 190B of another panel 10B. In this manner each of the separate sides of the panels 110A, 110B may employ the sealing system 200. As will be described in more detail below, not only does the sealing system 200 provide at least one seal between adjacent members of sash 160 and frame 120 or between adjacent meeting stiles 190A, 190B, each of the sealing systems 200 may prevent the movement of the panels 110A, 110B relative to the frame 120. In so doing, the sealing systems 200 can act as a lock and/or security device that prevents the forced opening of the panels 110A, 110B relative to the frame 120.
To prevent the forced opening of the panels 110A, 110B, the sealing systems 200 are not limited as to a percentage of coverage between particular members of the frame 120 and/or panels 110A, 110B. For example, the sealing systems 200 may only cover a fractional number (e.g., 10%, 50%, 85%) of the length between particular members of the frame 120 and/or panels 110A, 110B. However, in certain aspects, the sealing systems 200 provide substantially complete coverage between the sash 160 of a panel 110A, 110B and the frame 120 or between the meeting stile 190A of one panel 110A and the meeting stile 190B of another panel 110B. In so doing, the combined sealing systems 200 can provide a seal substantially completely around one or both of the panels 110A, 110B.
The sealing system 200 may include an anchor 220 and at least one docking collar 210A, 210B. Although the anchor 220 is illustrated as being associated with the sill 150 of the frame 120, and the docking collars 210A, 210B are illustrated as being positioned in a guide portion 280 that is associated with the sill rail 185 of the sash 160, the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner. For example, the anchor 220 may be associated with the sash 160 (e.g., extending from the sill rail 185 of the sash 160) and the docking collars 210A, 210B may be associated with the frame 120 (e.g., positioned within a guide portion 280 of the sill 150 of the frame 120).
Although illustrated as having a pair of complimentary docking collars 210A, 210B, the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner. For example, the sealing system 200 may include only a single movable docking collar 210 that engages the anchor 220. Also, the engagement between the single movable docking collar 210 and the anchor 220 may be only on a single side of the anchor 220. Alternatively, a membrane acting as the docking collar 210 may at least partially surround the anchor 220 and thus engage more than a single side of the anchor 220. In another aspect of the sealing system 200, one of the docking collars 210A, 210B is movable and the other of the docking collars 210A, 21B is stationary.
Although not limited in this manner, the anchor 220 is T-shaped and the complimentary docking collars 210A, 210B are L-shaped (and reverse L-shaped). By configuring the anchor 220 and docking collars 210A, 210B in this manner, upon the widest portions of the docking collars 210A, 210B being positioned between the wide portion of the anchor 220 (i.e., outer portion 220O) and another surface, the outer portion 220O of the anchor 220 prevents movement of the docking collar 210A, 210B in a direction towards the outer portion 220O. For example, using the reference system of
Although the T-shaped anchor 220 illustrated in
In certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the widest portions of the docking collars 210A, 210B are prevented, for example, by the guide portion 280 from moving beyond the outer portion 220O of anchor 220 in either the locked or unlocked configurations of the sealing system 200. In this manner, the combination of the anchor 220 and the guide portion 280 prevents the sill rail 185 from being disconnected from the sill 150.
Many different systems are known as capable of limiting the movement of one feature relative to another, and the sealing system 200 is not limited as to how this restriction of movement is accomplished. For example, as illustrated in
The sill rail 185 may include opposing lower portions 185L that may define the guide portion 280 into which the anchor 220 may be positioned. However, the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner. For example, the guide portion 280 of the sill rail 185 may be open such that the docking collars 210A, 210B and/or the control members 240, 250 directly rest upon the sill 150.
The lower portions 185L can act to contain the docking collars 210A, 210B and the control members 240, 250 within the guide portion 280. For example, the lower portions 185L may be sized such that the distance between the distal ends of the lower portions 185L is less the widest portion of the anchor 220 (e.g., the outer portion 220O of anchor 220), which prevents the anchor 220 from being withdrawn from the guide portion 280. Also, the lower portions 185L may be sized such that the distance between the distal ends of the opposing lower portions 185L is slightly greater than the width of the inner portion 2201 of anchor 220. In so doing, side-to-side motion (e.g., left-to-right motion using the reference system of
A member (e.g., the sill rail 185) opposite the anchor 220 may rest directly upon a top face of the anchor 220, and in so doing, can create a seal between the sill rail 185 and the anchor 220. However, the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner. For example, the lower portions 185L of the sill rail 185 may rest directly on the sill 150, and a gap may exist between a top face of the anchor 220 and the sill rail 185.
In certain aspects of the sealing system 200, a portion of the sill rail 185 and/or the sill 150, where the sill rail 185 contacts the sill 150, may include a friction reducing material. This friction reducing material may be integral with the sill rail 185 and/or sill 150, or the friction reducing material may be added to the sill rail 185 and/or sill 150, for example, as a coating or as an insert.
In an unlocked configuration (i.e.,
A closing system 230 moves the sealing system 200 from the unlocked configuration (i.e.,
In certain aspects of the closing system 230, as illustrated in
The closing system 230 moves the sealing system 200 from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration upon the relative movement of the outer control members 250A, 250B to the inner control members 240A, 240B along a line substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of one of the control members 240, 250. This movement generates a force against the first and second inner control members 240A, 240B towards the anchor 220, which causes the docking collars 210A, 210B to move towards one another and towards the anchor 220.
The manner in which the relative movement between the inner and outer control members 240, 250 is created is not limited as to a particular device. For example, either at least one of the inner control members 240 or the outer control members 250 may be connected to a handle (not shown) that is operable by the user to move the outer control members 250A, 250B relative to the inner control members 240A, 240B. As another example, either at least one of the inner control members 240 or the outer control members 250 may be connected to a mechanical, an electrical, or an electro-mechanical device (not shown) that moves the outer control members 250A, 250B relative to the inner control members 240A, 240B. Other devices capable of moving the outer control members 250A, 250B relative to the inner control members 240A, 240B are commonly known, and the closing system 230 is not limited as to a particular device.
Additionally, separate devices may separately move each of the outer control members 250A, 250B relative to each of the inner control members 240A, 240B. Alternatively, a single device may move both of the outer control members 250A, 250B relative to both of the inner control members 240A, 240B, and the manner in which both of the outer control members 250A, 250B are moved relative to both of the inner control members 240A, 240B is not limited to a particular device. For example, the first and second outer control members 250A, 250B may be interconnected with at least one connector 235 (see
The inner and outer control members 240, 250 may each include a step 245 proximate to each other, and these proximate pairs of steps 245 on the inner and outer control members 240, 250 may face each other. Movement of the outer control members 250 relative to inner control members 240 to position the sealing system 200 in the locked configuration causes the proximate pairs of steps 245 to engage one another and to separate a distance between proximate pairs 250A, 240A and 240B, 250B of the inner and outer control members 240, 250, and any configuration of steps 245 so capable are acceptable for use with the closing system 230. For example, one of the steps 245 may include an inclined surface between first and second levels and the other of the steps 245 may include a roller. Also, the first and second levels respectively of the inclined step 245 may have different distances from the other step 245 such that, as the roller moves on the inclined surface from a first level to a second level, a distance between the steps 245 of the proximate pair (and also between the inner and outer control members 240, 250) increases (or decreases).
In a current aspect of the closing system 230, each of the proximate pair of the steps 245 includes an inclined surface between first and second levels that are respectively at different distances from the other step 245. As the inner and outer control members 240, 250 move relative to one another, the inclined surfaces of the proximate pair of steps engage each other and cause a distance to increase between the proximate pairs 250A, 240A and 240B, 250B of the inner and outer control members 240, 250. The engagement of the inclined surfaces also creates a smoother transition between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration of the sealing system 200.
The closing system 230 is not limited as to the particular manner in which the sealing system 200 is positioned from the locked position to the unlocked position. For example, upon the inner and outer control members 240, 250 moving relative to one another to cause a distance to decrease between the proximate pairs 250A, 240A and 240B, 250B of the inner and outer control members 240, 250, a resilient member (or other device) may move the docking collars 210A, 210B away from the anchor 220, thereby reducing a force exerted by the docking collars 210A, 210B against the anchor 220.
In the locked configuration of the sealing system 200, the inner faces 260 of the docking collars 210A, 210B are positioned against the side faces 270 of the anchor 220 to prevent the sill rail 185 from moving relative to the sill 150. The sill rail 185 is prevented from moving relative to the sill 150 by friction between the inner faces 260 of the docking collars 210A, 210B and the side faces 270 of the anchor 220. The inner faces 260 of the docking collars 210A, 210B respectively engaging the side faces 270 of the anchor 220 may create a pair of seals on both sides of the anchor 220.
Although the docking collars 210A, 210B are shown as being moved towards one another along a common axis, the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner. For example, the closing system 230 may cause the docking collars 210A, 210B to move both towards one another and either upwards or downwards. In this manner, additional seals may be created between the docket collars 210A, 210B and additional members of the door/window system 100, such as the anchor 220, the sill 150, and/or the sill rail 185.
In certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the forces created by the docking collars 210A, 210B engaging the anchor 220 mirror one another. In this manner, components of the forces, along a particular axis, may offset each other. For example, in the configuration described in the immediately preceding paragraph, the forces created by the docking collars 210A, 210B being pressed against the anchor include offsetting components in an x-direction and components in a y-direction.
Additionally, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In certain aspects, lower faces of the widest portions of the docking collars 210A, 210B may rest upon top faces of the outer portion 220O of the anchor 220, and in so doing, may create a seal between the header rail 175 and the anchor 220. However, the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner. For example, lower portions of the docking collars 210A, 210B may rest directly on the inner surface of the guide portion 280 within the header rail 175, and a gap may exist between a top faces of the outer portion 220O of the anchor 220 and the lower faces of the widest portions of the docking collars 210A, 210B.
In certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the stile rail 180 may include opposing lower portions 180L that define a guide portion 280 into which the anchor 220 may be positioned. Also, the lower portions 185L may be sized such that the distance between the distal ends of the lower portions 185L is greater than the width of the outer portion 220O of anchor 220 (i.e., the widest portion of the anchor 220). In so doing, the anchor 220 may be inserted into (and withdrawn from) the guide portion 280.
Additionally, with regard to the sealing system 200 for the jamb 140 and stile rail 180, the docking collars 210A, 210B may extend beyond the outer portion 220O of anchor 220 in an unlocked configuration (i.e.,
As will be described in greater detail in reference to
As will be described in more detail below, the inner and outer control members 240, 250 of a particular sealing system 200 may be connected to other inner and outer control members 240, 250 of at least one other sealing system 200. In this manner, the movement of one of the inner control members 240A, 240B or the outer control members 250A, 250B may move inner or outer control members 240, 250 of other sealing systems 200. In certain aspects, all of the closing systems 230 of a particular panel are interconnected such that all of the outer control members 250A, 250B for each closing system 230 are interconnected. In this manner, the movement of a single set of outer control members 250A, 250B moves all of the other outer control members 250A, 250B.
Additionally, the first inner control member 240A may be connected to first docking collar 210A of the sealing system 200A via at least one first docking collar connector 255. The second outer control member 250B may be connected to the second docking collar 210B of the sealing system 200A via at least one second docking collar connector 265. The inner and outer control members 240, 250, may be connected to other inner and outer control members 240, 250 of other sealing systems 200, for example, to the inner and outer control member 240, 250 of a sealing system 200 connecting the header 130 to a header rail 175 (e.g., see
The inner and outer control members 240, 250, may be connected to other inner and outer control members 240, 250 of other sealing systems 200, for example, to the inner and outer control member 240, 250 of a sealing system 200 connecting the header 130 to a header rail 175 (e.g., see
The inner and outer control members 240, 250 of one sealing system 200L may be connected to the inner and outer control members 240, 250 of the other sealing system 200S. In this manner, relative movement of one set of inner and outer control members 240, 250 creates relative movement between one or more additional sets of inner and outer control members 240, 250. Thus, the relative movement of the inner and outer control members 240, 250 creates a force against the first and second inner control members 240A, 240B towards the anchors 220L, 220S of both the first and second sealing systems 200L, 200S and causes the docking collars 210A, 210B of both the first and second sealing systems 200L, 200S to move towards one another and towards the anchors 220L, 220S.
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